The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications and more particularly to methods, apparatuses and systems for transitioning from a Signaling System 7 network to a data network at a Signaling System 7 gateway.
The Telecommunications Industry has steadily grown from the times of wired networks. Traditionally, most telecommunications networks were Signaling System 7 Networks. Data traveling on the networks would be in Signaling System 7 protocol from the originating end node in the network to the destination end node in the network. Today, however, new data networks are emerging in the telecommunications industry. Networks based upon the Internet Protocol are becoming more widespread. The main reason for the rapid growth is the relative inexpense associated with such networks.
A problem exists, however, with the ever changing telecommunications industry. Disregarding or building around the Signaling System 7 architecture can be costly. Moreover, the Signaling System 7 networks tend to be reliable, a known commodity. Thus, telecommunications companies seek ways to merge the pre-existing Signaling System 7 network with the modern networks, such as the Internet Protocol network.
Such transitioning already occurs in network configurations today. Many Signaling System 7 messages travel through a Signaling System 7 networks destined for a signaling end point located within an Internet Protocol network. The problem, however, is that the transition from the Signaling System 7 network to the Internet Protocol network occurs only near the end of travel path for the message. This means that the message is traveling mostly across the much more expensive Signaling System 7 network, and spending little time traveling as a cheaper Internet Protocol message. Thus, new means for transitioning messages from Signaling System 7 messages to Internet Protocol messages is needed.
The present invention provides a method of transitioning messages from a Signaling System 7 Network to a data network at a Signaling System 7 Gateway. The method is accomplished by receiving one or more Signaling System 7 messages at the Signaling System 7 Gateway, determining states of accessability of one or more extended capability codes listed within the Signaling System 7 gateway, where each extended capability code corresponds to one or more signaling end points within the data network, terminating the Signaling System 7 messages at the Signaling System 7 Gateway, determining the accessability of the signaling end points associated with the Signaling System 7 messages, and routing the Signaling System 7 messages based upon the accessability of the signaling end points.
The present invention also provides a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for transitioning messages from a Signaling System 7 Network to an data network. The computer program can include a code segment for receiving one or more Signaling System 7 messages at the Signaling System 7 Gateway, a code segment for determining states of accessability of one or more extended capability codes listed within the Signaling System 7 Gateway, each extended capability code corresponding to one or more signaling end points within the data network, a code segment for terminating the Signaling System 7 messages at the Signaling System 7 Gateway, a code segment for determining the accessability of the signaling end points associated with the Signaling System 7 messages, and a code segment for routing the Signaling System 7 messages based upon the accessability of the signaling end points.